Table and receptacle



.1 A. T. DUPLIN 3 5 I TABLE AND REQEPTACLE Filed Dec. 21, 1940 2 sheets-sneak 1 INVENTOR July 7, 1-942. 7 A. 'r. DUPLIN 2,288,589

TABLEAND RECEPTACLE I Filed Dec. 21, 1940 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 u 48. I5

j/IG FIG. /2 a ATToRNEYs Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Alan T. Duplin, Seattle, Wasli.,'-now by judicial change of name to Alan T. Dublin Application December 21, 1940, Serial 371,136 a 4 Claims. (01. 190 12) My present invention relates to an improved table and receptacle of the type wherein certain walls of the receptacle may be swung outward and downward into alignment with a bottom wall to form a table.

It is an important object of my invention to provide a combined table and receptacle which is composed of the minimum number of parts and arranged together in a simple, easily operated construction so that the device may be put into use or collapsed for transportation by the most inexperienced person or'a person with a slight degree of mechanical skill.

Another object of myinvention has been the provision in a combined table and receptacle of a rotatable tray arrangement useful to carry articles of food, eatin q pment or cookin equipment, and which during the period of use of a table as such will facilitate ready access to the. interior of the receptacle.

Another object of the invention has been to provide a removable rotatable tray arrangement for a combined table and receptacle. 7

A further object of the invention is related to the provision in a combined table and receptacle of adjustable legs permitting the table to be accornmodated to uneven ground surfaces or the like upon which it may be disposed during periods of use. 1

Still another and important object of my inof parts may be'made withinrthe scope of the I subjoined claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my invention assembled and closed .together to. form a receptacle, w. l

Figure 2 is an inverted'perspective View of the receptacle cover, l

Figure 3 is aperspective view of the table which may be formed by adjusting the walls of the receptacle,

, Figure 4 is a vertical elevational view of my table, showing thereon a rotatable tray arrangement, with portions shown in section for con: venience of illustration,

tray employed in connection with my receptacle,

Figure 6 is a horizontal, sectional View, taken on line 6-45 of Figure 4, 1

Figure 7 is asectional view similar to Figure 6 with portions shown in section and illustrating the manner in which the tray arrangement may be rotated upon the table,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on 'line 88 of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view of a brace hinge before it is employed; in hingedly joining the side walls of the receptacle with the bottom pa e 1 Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the operation of the brace hinge of Figure 8 when the table leaves are swung into position to forma receptacle, I y

Figure 11 is a vertical, medial sectional View taken through the receptacle of Figure 1, as though on line I l| l of Figure, 1, and I Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l2 -l2 of Figure 11.

My'com bined table-receptacle includes a bottom panel l4 having hingedly joined thereto a plurality of side panels; 15,16, l1, and IS. The two side panels I5 and. I! are substantially the same width as the bottom panel I4 along the sides of which they are joined to said bottom panel. The other side panels l6 and [8 are slightly longerithan panels i5 and I! so that when they are swung on their hinges tothe vertical or right angle position with relation to the bottom, they will overlapthe panels l5 and I1 and define a rectangularboX-or receptacle.

The panels- [5, I6, IL-and 18 are each joined at'two places to the bottom panel M by means of a brace hinge designated as a whole by the numeral 20. The member 28 is formed of a pair of hinge plates 2|, 22' that are pivoted together at 23 and are joined to the bottom and side walls by means of screws 24. Upstanding ears 25 on the upper surfaces of members 2} and 22 form pivot ears for the pivoted brace arms 26 and 21.

Brace arms 26 and 21 are joined directly over the hinge 23 by means of the hinge pin 23 and they are also pivoted to the ears 25 by means of pins 2'9, 29. Due to the offset pivotal position of the arms Hand 21 with relation to the arms 2| and 22, when the side walls of the container are swung into the vertical position with relation to the bottom wall, the hinge will assume the position shown in Figure 10, When the side walls are disposed in substantial parallelism with the bottom wall as shown in FigureB, the hinge will Figure 5 is a perspective view of a'rotatable liesubstanfi il a n th b ace arms W ll be fully extended preventing any downward displacement of the side walls.

The bottom wall l4 has a depending flange or depending wall around its perimeter, to which are pivotally attached the tubular legs 32 by means of the leg pivot pins 33. Folding braces 34 between each tubular leg and the depending flange lock the legs in a downwardly extended adjusted position. The folding brace of course may be released and the legs swung upwardly and into the recess formed by the flange 30.

Into the tubular legs I fit the extension legs 34a having latch holes 35 and a spring detent 36, when placed in the dotted line position of the showing of Figure 4, permits the withdrawal of the extension legs from the interior of the tubular legs. When the latch point of detent member 36 is inserted into one of the latch holes 35 the extension leg will be rigidly secured in its adjusted position.

In the center of the table bottom or bottom panel I4 I provide a hole 38. Figure 5 shows a rotatable positioned tray which is formed with a bottom panel 40 that supports a vertical shaft 4|. Shaft 4| provides the lower trunnion 42 to fit into the hole 38 as well as an upper trunnion 43. An intermediate vertical divider wall 45 is shown in Figure 5 and an upper tray or shelf 46 rests upon the wall 44 and is in turn provided with radial divider panels 41 which form relatively small compartments 48. The bottom panel 40 and its rim 40a is notch'ed as at 50 so that the brace arms of the hinges 20, when they are operated as shown in Figure 10, can swing into the 7 edge of the panel 4|! without interference.

Anti-friction bearing means 52 may be employed between the bottom face of the panel 4|] and the upper face of the receptacle bottom [4 to permit free and frictionless rotation of the rotatable tray member.

When the walls l5, IS, IT, and N3 of the device are placed in the upright position to close and form a container they come into close abutting contact with the outer edges of the trays 40 and 46 and are aligned thereby.

A cover 54 having the downwardly depending edge flange or wall 56 fits over the upper edges of the dividers 41 and is provided with a depression or hole 51 to fit over the upper trunnion 43 of the shaft 4|.

Luggage latches 59 on the outer faces of the walls |5, l6, l1, and I8 cooperate with lugs 60 to lock the lid to the table walls. provided to facilitate carrying the container.

In periods when my device is being used as a container for transporting food and other articles, the device will appear as I have shown in the drawings in Figures 1 and 11. The legs are folded into place under the bottom and the top securely looked over the revolvable tray. To convert the device for use as a table and rotatable tray, the tubular or hollow legs 34 are Handles 62 are swung on their pivots 33 to the position of the showing of Figure 4. The folding brace, of course, is brought into alignment also as shown, to prevent collapse of the legs,

The inner extensible legs 34a are then withdrawn a sufiicient distance to level the table top ble. No uneven surface would probably ever be encountered to which the table could not be adjusted.

The side walls of the container l5, l6, l1, and I8, which form table leaves are next released by means of the removal of the top closure 54. The snap hasp members 59 are released from the lugs 50 to accomplish this operation. Then the table leaves are swung outwardly and downwardly into alignment with the table top l4.

The hinges 25 then come into operation, as has been previously described, to hold the leaves rigidly outward in a horizontal plane. Due to the fact that the hinges 20 are withdrawn from the notches 50 in the revolvable tray, this member can now be turned on its pivotal axis so that the different compartments will be presented to a person at any table surface for access thereto.

The various compartments may be used for storing silver ware, cups, plates and the like, as well as sandwiches or other types of food. The larger compartments are very handy for carrying large cooking utensils or large containers for food.

If it be desired that the revolvable tray as a whole be removed from the table to present an unobstructed table surface, it may be simply lifted off and set aside and the cover 54 is useful for maintaining the revolvable top in a horizontal position. The cover should be inverted as is shown in Figure 2 and laid close by. The revolvable tray with the lower trunnion 42 fitted into the hole 51, is set thereupon.

If it is desired that access be had to any one side of the container without entirely opening it, the snap hasp 59 on that side can be released from the lug 60 and the chosen wall section, any one of the members l5, l6, H, or l8, can be swung outwardly revealing the interior of the container, and the compartments in the revolvable tray that are adjacent thereto. This operation can, it will be seen, be accomplished without removing the top or in any other manner disturbing the container except to present the side which it is desired to open.

A multitude of uses may be had for the container besides that of a table having a revolvable tray as for example the container may be used as a display cabinet and the extensible and adjustable legs may be set up and the cabinet disposed for the public to view as it wishes.

I claim:

1. A table and receptacle comprising a rectangular base plate having supporting legs, a side wall hingedly secured along each edge of said base plate and adapted to be positioned in alignment with the upper surface of said base plate to form a table surface, a revolvable receptacle mounted for rotation on said base plate, and adapted to completely fill a receptacle defined by said base plate and said side walls when the latter are positioned in edge to edge relation vertically, said receptacle edges serving to align said side walls, cover means for the receptacle defined by said side walls when positioned in angularity to said base plate, and means for securing said cover means in place .for closing said receptacle.

2. A table and receptacle comprising a rectangular base plate having supporting legs depending therefrom, and a side wall hingedly secured along each edge of said base plate and adapted to be positioned in alignment with the upper surface of said base plate'to form a table surface,

a revolvable receptacle mounted for rotation on said base plate, and adapted to completely fill a receptacle defined by said base plate and said side walls when the latter are positioned in edge to edge relation vertically, said receptacle edges serving to align said side walls, anti-friction means between said base plate and said revolvable receptacle, and cover means for said receptacle. F

3. A table and receptacle comprising a rectangular base plate having retractible legs on its lower face, a side wall hingedly secured along each edge of said base plate and adapted to be positioned in alignment with the upper surface of said base plate to form table surface, hinge means between said base plate and each said side wall having brace means to maintain the hinge leaves and said side walls rigidly in their aligned position, a revolvable partitioned receptacle mounted for rotation on said base plate,

and having edge notches engageable by the brace means on said hinges to prevent relative movement between said revolvable receptacle and said base plate, and cover means for said receptacle.

4. A receptacle comprising a bottom panel having a plurality of extensible legs hinged to the underside, side panels hinged to each side of the bottom panel and adapted to be disposed vertically therefrom in edge to edge relation to define a rectangular receptacle, bearing means centrally disposed on said bottom panel, a tray revolvably mounted in said bearing member and adapted to completely fill said receptacle to position the side panels vertically, a cover engageable over said tray and resting upon the upper edges of said side panels, and means detachably joining said cover to said side panels.

ALAN T. DUPLIN. 

